Bent Pedestal
by Estrelle Buscador
Summary: Rapunzel and Eugene have a large crown to fill once her parents step down from the throne. But when the king is gravely injured, Eugene has to come to grips with the possibility of being king. Can Rapunzel help him?


Greetings Readers! Here is a new oneshot, I hope you enjoy it!  
>And for those who are reading <em>Priceless Tears<em>, I should be updating that soon.

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><p>The very air was tense in the small chamber as the doctor stepped out from the corridor, his expression tired and his gloved hands stained with dark red. The queen, whose breathing had been laborious for the past agonizing hours of waiting, took in a shaky gasp. Rapunzel grabbed one of her mother's hands with both of hers, her eyes growing wide and fearful. Eugene, who had been hovering nearby, put both hands on Rapunzel's shoulders and held her tightly.<p>

The surgeon looked up and his weary but genuine smile sent a wave of relief through all three. The queen, who had not cried after the attack or since, burst into tears, the radiance of her smile shining through the shimmer of her tears. Rapunzel hugged her mother tightly and then turned to Eugene who enveloped her with his arms and held her close.

"He's going to be fine. He's resting now but you can see him." The doctor smiled, and the three immediately made their way over to the hallway. The doctor held up his hand apologetically as Eugene attempted to follow the other two, "I'm sorry, Master Fitzherbert, only two at a time."

Rapunzel turned around, surprised, and was walking back to object, but Eugene waved her off. "It's okay, Blondie. Go see your dad."

The doctor, although he had come into contact with the young man over the past two years since the princess had come home, still looked shocked at the casual addressing of the princess. A young nurse giggled at it, especially when Eugene sent a reassuring wink at Rapunzel, and then flushed bright red when the doctor looked disapprovingly at her.

Rapunzel dashed back to kiss Eugene on the cheek, and then quickly walked over to where her mother was waiting. He looked after her, absorbed in his thoughts for a few moments, before he was brought back by the sound of a throat being cleared. Looking to the side, he saw the doctor looking at him apologetically, "I'm sorry, Master Fitzherbert, but I have a favor I need to ask from you. His majesty's advisors are waiting outside for the update on his condition and I need to finish sterilizing my instruments and preparing the king's bandages. Could you please tell them for me?"

Eugene nodded, and turned to walk towards the closed door where the advisors were waiting. It wouldn't have taken too long for the doctor to make the announcement himself, but Eugene recognized the doctor's request as a tentative olive branch, for not being allowed to let him in the back. It didn't bother him, though – he'd rather have Rapunzel and her mom see her dad first.

He opened the door to see half a dozen of the royal council waiting anxiously in the outer alcove. Eugene couldn't keep a small smile from crossing his face at the genuine concern in their expressions – and from the thought of how the doctor was going to freak out when he saw the worn-out track that the head advisor left in the Persian rug. At the sound of the door closing, all the council looked at him and got to their feet.

"Is his highness –" the one female member of the council questioned almost tremulously.

Eugene's face split into a huge grin. "He's going to be fine. The doctor said he was resting, and Ra – the princess and queen are in there now."

The advisors all released deep breaths, and weary, genuine smiles appeared on their faces. "Do you know if we can see his highness?"

Eugene's brow creased in thought. "I don't know, but you could always wait in the outer room."

The words had barely left his mouth before the advisors rushed past him, several of them thumping him on the back in a relieved fashion as they passed him. Eugene grinned after their speedy exit and began walking over to the kitchen. It would be a good long time before the queen or Rapunzel would be willing to leave the king when he was still recovering, so the least he could do was get something for them to eat. They'd been just about to adjourn court for the midday meal when an angry criminal who had just been sentenced has broken free of the guards flanking him and ran at Rapunzel's father. Pulling a dagger from the inside of his tunic, he ran to the throne and stabbed it to the hilt through the king's stomach, who had wasted a few moments pushing his family out of harm's way. Eugene had been standing to the side of the parapet where the throne was situated and had run up in time to place a forceful push between the criminal's eyes as the king crumpled to the floor. Rapunzel had ripped off one of her sleeves and pressed it against the gaping wound as Eugene gave a swift punch to the stomach and then kicked away the bloody dagger that the criminal dropped. He had then shoved the would-be killer into the arms of the embarrassed and angry guards the criminal had broken away from and quickly followed the procession ushering the king to the medical wing.

_Coward didn't even get one good shot in,_ Eugene smirked with pride as he noticed the scar in the shape of the man's teeth on his knuckles while he turned the doorknob to the kitchen. The cook was facing the stove with her back to him, stirring an enormous pot of stew. He cleared his throat teasingly.

The cook spun around and beamed at him. She had been the first person at the palace outside of the royal family to truly warm up to the impetuous young man who had rescued their princess and brought her home. A lot of well-meaning people had tried to discretely warn either Rapunzel or Eugene off any romantic prospects, unable to see past Eugene's casual, brusque manner or his low birth. The cook had almost immediately taken to him, seeing past all the cocky behavior and snarky language to see a brave young man who loved the princess with all his heart.

And the fact that he and Rapunzel praised her cinnamon buns to the skies the first time they'd met didn't hurt.

"Hello, Eugene!" The cook smiled brightly, coming over from the stove to envelop him in a hug. She pulled back, suddenly apprehensive. "Is the king-"

Eugene gave her a reassuring smile. "The doctor says he's going to make a full recovery."

The cook let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank God for that. I want him to be around to properly throw the book at that blackguard himself!" She tilted her head inquiringly. "But what are you doing here, young man? Shouldn't you be with Rapunzel right now?"

"Only two people at a time can be there. I thought I could maybe get them all something to eat," he rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepishly, "you know, since we missed lunch and everything."

Several of the cook's helpers giggled and the cook beamed. "How nice. Come on, girls, let's get some plates together. And don't forget the –"

"Cinnamon buns!" The two assistants chorused, giggling wildly. Apparently, Rapunzel's love for the treat was becoming infamous.

Ten minutes later, the cook was holding the door open so Eugene could shuffle through, his arms piled with all the foods could, without dropping anything, towards the medical wing. He was only two hallways away when he nearly dropped the lump of cheddar cheese perched at the top of the stack. It was as he was resteadying the pile that he heard two servants speaking down the hall as they polished the suits of armor guarding the hallway. As this was a relatively common occurrence, Eugene was prepared to just keep walking – until he heard his name.

"So the king's all right?" One asked, swabbing his rag with polish before turning to the helmet.

"Yes – my girl heard Eugene telling all the advisors that he would be okay." The other said patiently.

"Thank God for that," the first servant murmured, "I don't know what we'd do without the king in charge."

The second servant gave a reassuring snort of laughter. "Keep on going, of course. There'll always be a king."

"But the princess isn't – oh," the servant stopped as comprehension dawned. "You mean, Eugene? Don't think we're ready for that yet."

Eugene nearly dropped the food. _King? They expect me to be-_

The sounds of the servants seemed to be getting closer, and so Eugene quickly rushed over to the medical wing. He moved so quickly that he missed the continued conversation.

"What do you mean?" The second servant asked, "I think Eugene could do a good job."

"But," the other countered in a scandalized tone, "they aren't even married yet!"

The second servant just rolled his eyes and started polishing the next suit of armor.

One of the platters almost slipped from Eugene's fingers, but he barely noticed as he numbly shifted it into a more stable position. The words he had just heard were going through his head at such speeds that they felt like they were ricocheting off the sides of his brain and colliding with each other. _King?_ He managed to choke out, _They expect me to be king? And they expect me to be a bad king?_

Never was he more aware that his girlfriend was a princess. Never was he more aware that she would one day be a queen.

Rapunzel smiled brightly as Eugene walked into the medical wing. "Hi, Eugene! I wondered where you went. I'm sorry that you couldn't come in – you could now, but father's sleeping. Eugene?" She tilted her head in confusion before lifting a hand to his cheek. "Eugene? Are you all right? You're so pale…"

...

Eugene cursed slightly as the hot wax from the candle he was holding dripped onto his hand. He managed to keep from dropping the candle, instead settling for flapping his hand wildly in the air once he'd put the candle back on the table. After pulling the congealing wax off of his hand and sat back down. He thanked in absentia whoever it was that designed the palace library for setting up so many places for torches and lanterns to light up the room. It was after midnight, but Eugene was having no trouble reading the books open all over the table. He sighed as he turned back to the books – he had pulled out several tomes about the history of the kingdom in search of inspiration but it was only making him more depressed. _This guy commanded an army when he was seventeen,_ he thought ruefully as he slammed one book shut only to pull another closer. _And this guy got the kingdom through a two-year famine._

Eugene pushed the book aside and cradled his head in his hands. He hadn't even opened the volume that talked about the early years of the current king's reign, he didn't have the heart for it. He'd heard enough about the wonderful things Rapunzel's dad had done for the kingdom ever since he could remember, and people called him the greatest ruler in the kingdom's history.

That was a big crown to fill. Eugene gave a groan and massaged his throbbing temples. Ever since he'd stolen his first coin pouch and had a glimpse of how glorious it was to own things, he'd wanted to own his own house. As his experience and ego grew, so did his desire for our history, swelling from a house to a mansion, and then to his own castle. But that didn't mean he wanted to rule anybody – he just wanted the castle.

But now the idea of having to rule in a castle felt all too real, and it scared him. True, he hadn't even proposed to her yet – he didn't know if she'd say yes. A familiar smirk crossed his face as he thought to himself. _Of course she would – it's me!_ The smirk slipped slightly as he delved back into thought. _But should I even do that? I don't know how to run a kingdom._

_What were they thinking? Always training me to be a guard – couldn't we have fit in some speed courses in diplomacy or something?_

It was an anxiety-inducing situation, but he couldn't just run off screaming. Rapunzel didn't deserve that. His expression sank into a distinctly lovesick expression as his mind lingered on the thought of the beautiful brunette. There had been no rings or proposals made, he sensed that she wasn't quite ready for that yet, but he knew that he wanted her by his side for the rest of their lives. Just the prospect of not having her in his life made his heart ache, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. That one heart stopping moment when she was being dragged away by Gothel had been bad enough.

But did he have the right? Rapunzel deserved only the best, and if he wasn't the best…

Eugene swallowed hard. He knew what he had to do. He grabbed a loose leaf of parchment and pulled it towards him and began writing.

...

It was a lot harder to leave the note once he was actually in Rapunzel's bedroom than when he was writing it in the library. He placed the candle on his bedside table and watched her peaceful face, listening to her soft breathing as he held the folded parchment tightly in his other hand. The moonlight streamed through her bedroom window and fell onto her face, making her entire face glow. Eugene's eyes softened as he looked down at her, and then looked down at disgust at the parchment in his hand. He crumpled it up with a low growl before throwing it in the wastepaper basket beside her bed. _That's the coward's way out,_ he yelled at himself, _she deserves you to have the guts to say it to her face._ Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he turned to leave the room. He needed some time to think.

As the door closed softly behind him, the figure on the bed stirred briefly before sleepily opening one eye. "Eugene?"

...

He hadn't realized how late it really was until he'd made it to the lake and it was completely quiet. No fishermen calling for their shipmates to help them haul in a big catch, no little children playing tag or keepaway on the shore, no young couples sneaking away from their curfews to kiss underneath the stars. It was silent except for the lapping of waves against the shore. Even the man who ran the stand that rented rowboats was gone, the 'closed' sign on the door flapping slightly in the breeze.

Eugene had wanted to rent a boat, float out into the middle of the lake, and just think for a long while. It wouldn't have been hard to pick the lock and borrow a boat, but Eugene didn't think it was worth it. Instead, he settled for sitting at the edge of the shore, drawing in the sand with a finger and watching the water wash it away. He looked out over the water, smiling a little as he watched the fireflies bob lightly over the surface of the lake. It vaguely reminded him of how the lights of the annual lanterns glittered across the water and his mind unwittingly focused on the first time he and Rapunzel had seen those lanterns together, floating in the middle of the lake, Rapunzel pulling the blossoms from his hand and setting them adrift…

Eugene clenched both fists in his hair and groaned. This was just making everything harder. He didn't want to leave, but he had to. He didn't want to fail. But now remembering that moment when he held her hands and felt the shock like lightning pass between them – he really didn't want to leave. _Find the words, find the words._

Heavy hooves clapped and then come to a stop in the clearing behind him. Even in his distraction, his ears trained through years of thievery and cat burglary heard the hooves, along with the slight exhaled gasp as the rider dismounted and slight whisper of their cloak against the grass. Every nerve was on edge but he forced himself to stay still as the steps grew closer. He didn't know whether they were friend or foe, but he didn't want to tip his hand just yet. The steps were nearly upon him and he prepared to spring up when he heard a voice that both warmed his heart and made his blood run cold. "Eugene?"

"Blondie?" Eugene asked, as he turned to face his girlfriend. "What are you doing here?"

Rapunzel sat down next to him, folding her legs smoothly beneath her, her cloak billowing out behind her. "I could ask you the same question." She pulled back her hood and gave him a searching look.

Eugene shrugged. "Just needed some time to think."

"Hmm," Rapunzel hummed, "About this?" her hand dug into the pocket of her cloak and pulled out the piece of crumpled parchment.

Eugene felt the sweat begin to form just beneath the crown of his head. _She found it?_ He rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, you weren't supposed to find that."

"I guessed as much, since it was crumpled up and in the trash." Rapunzel put the paper back in her pocket and scooted closer to her boyfriend. "Eugene, why would you think that?"

"Think what?" He shot her a charming smile in an attempt to distract her.

Unfortunately, his girlfriend had immunity towards the smile, except for when she allowed it to affect her. "You know what. Why would you leave? Did I do something –"

"No!" Eugene said hastily. He almost reached up to hold her in a reassuring hug, but reined himself in just in time. Once he had her in his arms, he would never be able to leave. "It's just, I don't think this is the job for me."

Rapunzel laughed. "Do you think I'm ready either? I'm terrified – but I know that I have people around to help me." She got closer. "And I have you."

That sent warmth all throughout Eugene's body and he gave in to the urge to take Rapunzel into his arms. She sighed blissfully and rested her head on his chest, and he placed his chin on the top of her head. "Rapunzel," he said, "do you think I could do this?"

She giggled, sending pleasant vibrations through his shirt. "Of course I do. Besides, I'm here to help you, too." Rapunzel snuggled closer. "You'll be great."

He grinned down at her, his cockiness restored. "Of course I will – it's me."

Rapunzel just rolled her eyes affectionately. "Uh-huh." She suddenly stiffened, and Eugene frowned when he noticed a suspicious wetness in her eyes. "You were going to just leave without saying goodbye?"

Eugene was about to apologize when he saw the teasing glint in the back of her eyes. He smirked and tilted her chin up. "That, Blondie," he whispered, leaning in to kiss, "is not fair."

...

"How are you, your highness?" Eugene asked as he sat down in the chair besides the king's bed.

"Fine," the king harrumphed, shifting so that he could sit up against the headboard, "or I will be, once they let me out of here."

"The doctor?" Eugene asked, shifting one of the vases of flowers out of the way.

"No, my wife." The king smiled, shaking his head gently. "She is determined I am going to go do something dangerous as soon as I get out of bed." He gave the man he was beginning to view as his own son a serious look. "I never did thank you properly."

Eugene quirked an eyebrow. "For what, your highness?"

"For saving my life." Eugene made an effort to deny it, but the king stopped him with a hand. "I do not doubt that my would-be assassin would have given me a more fatal blow if you had not managed to stop him, and for that I am very grateful." He coughed slightly and resituated himself slightly. "It is good to know that I will one day be leaving my daughter in your hands."

Eugene flushed slightly, but attempted to cover it up. The king looked down to give him a moment to compose himself, and then looked back up. "What has happened in court since I have been in here?"

"Well," Eugene sat up straighter and began telling the king what had been happening in court. Just over the young man's shoulder, the king saw his daughter standing in the crack of the open doorway. She gave him a grateful smile, which he returned, and then closed the door quietly behind her.

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><p>AN: And that's the end. I hope you enjoyed it!

Please review – they make me happy!


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